Chapter 5: Not-So-Lone Wolf
Twilight’s smile slowly faded as the creature continued to stare at her. The polarized faceplate always befuddled her; she never knew what this thing was thinking, let alone what its expression was.
“Um… I guess you’re wondering how I was able to catch up to you…?” She asked.
He gave her a curt nod.
She smiled proudly, standing up. “Well, it all happened last night. I was really eager to ask you some questions, so I snuck down to Sweet Apple Acres when I thought everypony was asleep, hoping I could catch you and ask then; I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t.”
She frowned. “That was when I spotted you running away from the barn. Luckily, I was able to keep up with you by teleporting, although I kept my distance. I actually wanted to ask you… Why did you run?”
The human shook his head, starting to stand up on his own. Twilight’s frown deepened. “Why did you talk to the Princess, but refuse to talk to me?” She asked.
The human returned to simply staring at her, her frustrated expression appearing in his polarized faceplate. “Why don’t you answer me? I mean, I did nothing wrong! I only want to help, but you’re just too stubborn to let me!”
“You can't help me.” The human finally stated, turning away from her.
Twilight’s frustration grew. “Why?! Why won’t you trust me?! I don’t care if you’re a soldier, and there’s ‘classified this,’ and ‘top-secret that’, but all I want to do is help, and you’re not even going to let me try?!” She hissed through gritted teeth.
“Yep.” He said simply, starting off at a walk.
Twilight’s horn glowed purple, her face set in determination. The human stopped walking, his torso and legs enveloped in a purple aura. He swiveled his head to face her. “Release me.” He said, reaching up to something on his chest.
Twilight clenched her jaw. “Not until you tell me where you’re going.”
“Final warning.” The man said, gripping onto a sheath that protruded from his armor’s breastplate.
Twilight shook her head. “Tell me where you’re going!”
In one swift motion, he pulled the knife from his breastplate, hurling it at the unicorn.
--
John’s upper lip curled. “Final warning.”
The unicorn shook her head stubbornly. “Tell me where you’re going!”
You asked for it. John removed the knife from its sheath, flicking his wrist and sending the knife towards the unicorn. She gasped, ducking down in hopes of dodging. John smirked. He had never aimed to kill in the first place.
The knife embedded itself in a tree several inches to her right, but the throw had broken her concentration, giving the Spartan all the time he needed. John’s legs freed up, allowing him to move. He immediately broke for the thicker bushes and undergrowth. Let’s see if you can still work magic without a line of sight. Crashing into the foliage, John pushed through the mass of leaves and branches, not daring to slow down. He didn’t want to hurt the creature; she really did seem to want to help him. But the data aboard the Forward Unto Dawn was too valuable for anyone to see, no matter how harmless they may seem. Although it would seem that they meant no harm, he still had to regard them as potential hostiles. If they discovered about the existence of the Halo rings, the Ark, and ultimately, the location of Earth, he wouldn’t be able to stop them. His jaw set upon realizing the grim truth. If they did see what was aboard her, he really would have to kill them.
He sighed inwardly. Hopefully, that knife throw would discourage any further engagement. Another—this time, more prominent—pang of regret swept through John. The fear and hurt he had seen in her eyes was something he did not want to cause, but he knew that was better than eyes glazed over in death.
--
Twilight sat down, hard, staring dumbly at the knife handle that protruded from the tree. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart beating in her throat. He... He tried to kill me? She had once felt something like this. It was something like when she was falling from a cliff in Everfree Forest. Except somehow, this felt much more close, as she didn’t have the reassurance of Applejack that she would have been okay.
She slowly backed away from the knife, scrambling to her hooves. She gazed at the bushes where the man had disappeared. The burning questions she had once held in such high priority had retreated to the back of her mind, leaving another question in their place.
Why? She had done nothing wrong; all she wanted to do was help! She started back for Ponyville, her eyes burning with tears. Her heart still thumped loudly in her chest, accompanying the rhythmic heaving of her deep breaths. Struggling through the hyperventilation, Twilight blinked hard, freeing the tears from her eyes.
She turned back to the bushes, a determined expression on her face. No. She told herself firmly. She recalled the incident with Trixie; when she had tried to help her, she ran off, not giving Twilight a chance. She still felt terrible for not going after her, pursuing her as a friend. To this day, she would never know if she could’ve helped Trixie become accepted, rather than allow her to become an exile from Ponykind.
She gritted her teeth. She wouldn’t let anyone else end up going through a life of such loneliness ever again. She glanced back at the knife sticking out of the tree. Using her magic, she yanked it free and brought it closer for examination. At least he doesn’t have any more of these… She thought.
--
John took a quick glance around, deciding that there was sufficient cover for him to take a breather. Sitting down against the tree, he sighed at the relief it gave him. He eased himself to the ground, once again beginning to doze off. He glanced up, noting that it was about midday. He frowned. The unicorn had woken him up only a few hours after he had fallen asleep: nowhere near the amount of rest he really needed. He did have a long slumber in the cryo tube, but that was more of a state of near-death, which he didn’t think counted.
Lolling his head back, he knew he had to listen to his body while he still had the luxury of this free time. He knew there would be a long run to the ship across the desert he had seen while falling to this planet’s surface, and without water or food. Rest was the only thing he could get plenty of, and he would take advantage of his hard-earned freedom.
As John lowered his guard, his fatigued body took care of the rest, sending him into a deep, dreamless limbo.
--
“Ponyfeathers.” Twilight grumbled.
It had been several hours of searching through the underbrush, and she still had no idea where he had gone. She hung her head, taking a seat at the foot of a tall beech tree. Now she even doubted if she could make her way out of here without getting even more lost.
Teleporting was out of the question, as it only disoriented her sense of direction further. She squinted at a few beams of moonlight gently breaking through the forest canopy. Guess my only consolation is that Luna’s night is prettier than ever. Twilight mused.
The twinkling stars reminded her of the strange creature that had fallen from space, supposedly a human. But there hadn’t been humans in Equestria for thousands of years, potentially before the Princess’ time. The last known presence of humans was the founding of Paradise Estate, and then their disappearance during Discord’s reign, and the splitting of the three pony species.
She was so deep in thought, that she didn’t notice the four of pairs of eyes watching her from the brush, which narrowed in fiendish delight.
--
The hum of the Pelican’s rear engines dominated the silence of the dropship’s interior. A sudden jolt brought John back from the brink of nodding off. It was strange… he could’ve sworn that he was just—
“It just keeps repeating. Regret, regret, regret.” Cortana mused.
“Catchy. Any idea what it means?” Commander Keyes asked, her hand rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
“Dear humanity,” Sgt. Johnson began. John smirked. This should be good.
“We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the corps just blew up our raggety-ass fleet!”
“Hoorah!” The pilots cried in unison.
“Regret is a name, Sergeant. It’s the name of one of the Covenant’s religious leaders: A prophet. And he’s calling for help.” Cortana explained.
The pelican dipped slightly as it eased into a headwind. Two marines pressed their noses against the glass, pointing at something. “Whoa, check it out!” One said.
Out of curiosity, John risked a glance out of the window. The bulbous nose of a Covenant carrier peeked out from the corner of the glass, the sheer size of the ship sending shivers down John’s spine. Even having seen one on his encounter with the Covenant on Halo, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact they could build things of such magnitude.
A sudden burst of static jolted the rest of the fatigue from John’s body, startling him awake. “Immediate; Kilo 2-3 is hot. Recommend mission abort.”
The dropship’s pilot keyed the mic. “Roger, recon.” He waved Johnson to the cockpit, yelling to the sergeant. “It’s your call, Sarge!”
Johnson peered between them, barely hesitating in his answer. “We’re going in.” He turned to the squad of marines milling about behind John. “Get tactical, marines!”
The clacking and clanking of Marines going through their final gear inspections chorused behind John as Lord Hood came on the channel.
“Master Chief, get aboard that carrier and secure the Prophet of Regret. This is the only place on Earth the Covenant decided to land. That Prophet is going to tell us why.”
“Thirty seconds out!” The pilot chirped. “Stand by to… Whoa.”
Whoa?
The entire Pelican suddenly rocked, nearly sending the Spartan tumbling out of the dropship. Securing a handle in his grip, John managed to get a glimpse of a gargantuan machine firing a burst of plasma at another unfortunate Pelican dropship before the view suddenly turned upside-down, sending John crashing to the roof of the loading bay. Another jolt as the Pelican skidded across the flat rooftops, eventually tumbling into an open courtyard. John’s teeth—
Rattled as he fell flat on his back, letting out a quiet grunt as his head whipped backwards from the force of the fall. A heavy weight pressed on his chest. He started to look up, nearly bumping noses with a wolf.
Instinct kicked in as John headbutted the creature, making a solid thunk as they knocked heads. Unfazed thanks to the half-inch of Titanium-A alloy protecting his head, John pressed his arms to the ground to stabilize the powerful kick he delivered to the creature’s chest, sending it flying into the oak he was just leaning against. A loud splintering noise ensued as the creature was nearly bisected by the thick trunk. It collided with the ground and lay still.
Quickly rolling to his feet, John brought his arms up, eyeing the surrounding bushes carefully. His eyes drifted to his motion tracker, which was now online. The only blip on the small blue circle was his own yellow dot. However, that only meant there were no moving threats.
Crouching low, John decided to take a quick glimpse of what had just attacked him. He risked a glance at whatever lay at the base of the tree trunk.
It resembled a wolf, but it was almost entirely made up of wooden planks. The boards had nearly split on its back where it had collided with the tree; probably what had killed it. The abdomen was split open, revealing nothing but an empty chest cavity. John’s brow raised in a moment of confusion. Inorganic lifeforms? he thought.
He jolted when he heard an all-too familiar voice. “Hello?! Anypony out there?! Could use some help!”
John started for the voice, but stopped himself. If he went out there, he’d be back to square one. And she seemed capable enough to handle herself anyways; she could just throw them into a tree like he did.
As he slowly turned away, he felt something almost unnoticeable. However, his training had always taught him never to ignore the feeling.
The wheedling touch of doubt.
--
Twilight kicked out with her rear legs, smashing the Timberwolf’s jaw. It rolled away, wimpering. Twilight slowly stood, a bit of blood trickling down from her hind leg. She had aimed right for its mouth, forgetting about the teeth there in the panic. She gritted her teeth; she couldn’t afford any more close calls.
She turned to face the three remaining Timberwolves that faced her down. The ethereal glow of their eyes seeped through the bushes they hid behind, giving the illusion that the bushes were seemingly on fire. Twilight’s horn lit up, a purple aura surrounding the injured Timberwolf behind her. She hurled it into their direction, sending them scattering away from their comrade.
Taking the chance, Twilight made a 180 and sprinted towards what she hoped was safety. She ignored the wiry branches pulling at her coat and mane, occasionally leaving a burr or twig stuck in the latter. Her heart had leapt into her throat, its beating making breathing somewhat difficult. She risked a glance backwards, noting that they hadn’t followed her.
I’m going to make it! Twilight thought desperately.
Her hopes sank as the heavy panting of the Timberwolves began to accompany the beating of her hooves, sending fear into Twilight’s thoughts. She pushed herself to her limits, willing her body to do the impossible.
A hot iron poker was suddenly shoved into her right foreleg as it slipped off of a rock awkwardly, accompanied by a wet snap. She tumbled forward into a clearing, clutching her now-broken ankle. She whirled around at the sound of the approaching creatures, a cold sweat forming on her brow. She scurried backwards as fast as her broken appendage would allow her, pressing herself up against a mossy boulder.
She gulped as the first Timberwolf appeared from behind a tall ash tree, soon joined by its comrades. The fourth leapt over a clump of bushes, its busted jaw swinging with every movement. She winced at the grim spectacle, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
In her desperation, she flicked a few decent-sized rocks that lay at her hooves towards the Timberwolves using her magic. The Timberwolves were unfazed as the rocks bounced off of their wooden hides. Their eyes gleamed with malice, and their lips curled back in a fierce snarl. They slowly surrounded her, crouching low.
One took a step too close, sending Twilight’s brain into action.
“Stay back!” Twilight roared, firing a burst of magic at the nearest Timberwolf.
It stumbled backwards, stunned by the blow. As if it was some sort of signal, the rest of the Timberwolves leapt forward, howling their victory. Twilight curled into a tight ball, preparing herself for the pain to come.
Except it didn’t.
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alright new chapter
chief is now going to rip them limb from limb
“We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the core just blew up our raggety-ass fleet!” One of my favourite scenes from the whole series. Also, the timberwolves do not stand a chance.
Excelent....
Sort-of cliffhanger, AWAY!
yeah woooo go master chief!!!
DAMN YOU CLIFF-HANGERS
ITS JUST TO MUCH
845784 yup best scene ever
rest in pieces poor wolves
845784 probably the best line ever in halo me thinks cant recall anyother good one
*sees new chapter* "HELL YEA"
New chapter was good, but I have to point something out. Wood is organic, and therefore timberwolves are not inorganic.
Also, why does it seem like timberwolves are always the first denizen of Equestria to get curb-stomped by new arrivals in crossovers? This story, a Mass Effect one, and even my own Warhammer 40k story all involve timberwolves getting turned into wood chips. Not a criticism, just something I have noticed.
Once again, good chapter, and I cannot wait to see the Chief breaking faces.
Would prefer longer chapters. Very little has been happening with each update.
845784 It should be corps, not core.
845898 Because like most normal wolves, they're only useful in large packs, and they're frightened off by loud noises, and overall, function best as ambush predators.
But maybe that's just a biased opinion.
You tease! Update this again soon! Or... I'll ask John to... do something... Pinkie, give me an idea!
:You could-
No. Not when you have that face.
845784 HOORAH!
And it's "corps", not "core".
An MLP/Halo crossover with the Chief?
Tracking. I like this one already.
845953 -give him a party!
MOAR for the love of god MOAR!!!
Quick! WRITE MORE!
Twilight! Throw Chief the knife, he needs fire wood!
you know his armor wheighs half a ton right 1000 pounds
stupid waffles
Not exactly a cliff-hanger when you pit a bunch of wooden wolves against a 1000lb super soldier covered in titanium armor that blows up supercarriers in his free time.
Bit short, really. Not a lot of movement story-wise.
At least we finally know why the Chief needed to get away from Ponyville.
Also, why did his Motion Tracker suddenly start to work again?
845782 I see what you did there.
845898
I reckon it's because they're extremely dangerous and fearsome, whilst being lifeless monsters.
This gives plenty of reasons too feed them through a wood-chipper (personal safety, vanquishing evil, etc), while removing any qualms one might have about killing say... an actual wolf (hungry wolfcubs, bloodshed, stuff like that)
845782
Hah! Puns...
Chief and Dash are either going to be rivals or bestfriends by the end of this
God-dangit Blazer!
MOAR
845784. OORAH!!
CLIFF HANGER
Every play fetch with you're own jaw
Corps, not core. Not that I actually know what I'm talking about, I'm just copying everyone.
When's next chapter?! I WANNA READ IT NOW!!
Equestria: The land where timberwolves get curb-stomped on a daily basis by every alien.
Timber Wolves have lips? THAT'S FUCKIN' FUNNY!
Where is the chapter 6 button?
The captain demands more!
845784
Totally is the best in all the games.
And as everyone else has already said, it's the Marine Corps, not core. Though it's pronounced core for some reason.
846453
I don't understand what you mean...
846217>>846268 yes you got the joke ! FINALLY SOMEONE GETS THE JOKE
Please Make it soon
Time for Chief to get another killing Spree
Well, this had been alright up to this point, but you've handed Twilight the Idiot Ball here. For one thing, since Twilight A. is an egghead and B. has a brother who is captain of the royal guard, she should have knowledge of basic combat tricks like warning shots and recognize them for what they are. For another, she could have grabbed the knife (and John) with her magic. Which she could blast the wolves with, by the way. Also, she should have been able to figure out where John was going, since it's pretty obvious.
get some John! cant wait for the next chapter
Y U TEASE MEH?!
Cliffhanger? Damn you!
Anyway, this is a shit ton better than my Halo crossover. Good work!
846907 I always get the joke. Even the most subtle of puns or references hit me like a freight train and it annoys me... sometimes
I enjoyed my little cameo
845874 I also agree that that quote was one of the best lines in the Halo series. Though I have also been a fan of: "Usually the good Lord works in mysterious ways. But not today! This here is 66 tons of straight-up, H.E-spewing dee-vine intervention! If God is love, then you can call me Cupid!" -Sergeant Major Avery Johnson